Drifting together, not apart: Hyundai, Toyota chiefs take partnership into top gear at track day

Rather than drift apart, Hyundai and Toyota are drifting together, with the chief of the Japanese automaker burning rubber with the Korean brand's CEO at a car festival in Korea on Sunday.

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung, left and Toyota Motor Group Chairman Akio Toyoda during the Hyundai N x Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival event, held Sunday in Everland Speedway in Yongin, Gyeonggi. [CHO YONG-JUN]

YONGIN, Gyeonggi — The chiefs of Asia’s two largest automakers — Hyundai Motor and Toyota Motor — met for the first time in a public event on Sunday as the automotive giants are seeking to expand cooperation in robotics and hydrogen vehicles.

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung and Toyota Motor Chairman Akio Toyoda gathered at a joint motorsport festival at the Everland Speedway in Yongin, Gyeonggi, with the joint objectives of fostering motorsport culture between Korea and Japan while also seeking further business cooperation on mobility.

“Toyota and Hyundai will hold hands together to create better cars and the future of mobility,” the Toyota Motor chairman said at the Hyundai N x Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival event. Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hankook Tire and Technology Chairman Cho Hyun-bum also attended the festival.

“I never knew I’d do such great stuff in Korea with Hyundai Motor.”

The two chairmen entered the stage with a bang as the 68-year-old Toyota chairman drifted the Hyundai chief around the stage in a Toyota Yaris rally car.

Toyota Motor Group Chairman Akio Toyoda drifts with Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung in the passenger seat at the Hyundai N x Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival event, held Sunday in Everland Speedway in Yongin, Gyeonggi. [CHO YONG-JUN]

“Watching him drive makes me trust him more and now I’m certain that he’s good at a lot of things,” Chairman Chung said, adding that he “practiced drifting but wasn’t able to successfully pull it off."

Hyundai and Toyota’s chiefs are well known as car enthusiasts themselves, with Chairman Toyoda actively racing for his company’s Gazoo Racing team under the name Morizo.

The two heads, instead of talking about Hyundai and Toyota’s collaboration in hydrogen future and robotics, focused on the joy of motorsport and expanding the culture to Korea and Japan.

“We’ve been introducing high-performance racing vehicles in the name of Hyundai N, and we hope to satisfy everyone with a soul toward cars that can make your heart beat,” Chairman Chung said.

The rather unexpected collaboration between Hyundai and Toyota came about when the two heads met with each other back in January.

“President Toyoda offered to hold a festival together because we are both sincere about motorsport,” the Hyundai chief explained.

And indeed, Sunday’s festival was full of exciting events geared toward motorheads and car enthusiasts. The Speedway was filled with the smell of burning tires and smoke as petrol engines roared and electric motors whizzed.

Hyundai Motorsport racing driver and 2024 World Rally Championships (WRC) No. 1 Thierry Neuville, Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally team members Jari-Matti Latvala and Katsuta Takamoto and other star WRC drivers drifted around the venue and made donuts with Hyundai's i20 N Rally 1 Hybrid and Toyota's GR Yaris Rally 1 Hybrid cars.

Hyundai Motor's rolling-lab vehicle RN24 at the Hyundai N x Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival event, held Sunday in Everland Speedway in Yongin, Gyeonggi. [CHO YONG-JUN]

It was also the public debut of Hyundai's rolling-lab vehicle RN24. The high-performance EV, which just has its exoskeleton without body panels, was created for the company's EV R&D development.

Toyota showcased its AE86 H2 concept vehicle, a hydrogen-powered version of the company's 80s cult-classic Sprinter Trueno coupe. The AE86 is best known for its appearance in the comic book and animation series "Initial D."

The two chairmen, alongside Hyundai N and Toyota GR owners, participated in a joint parade lap to end the show.

Hyundai Motor's Ioniq 5 N EV drifts during the Hyundai N x Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival event, held Sunday in Everland Speedway in Yongin, Gyeonggi. [CHO YONG-JUN]

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung, in jeans, and Toyota Motor Chairman Akio Toyoda pose for the camera during the Hyundai N x Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival event, held Sunday in Everland Speedway in Yongin, Gyeonggi. [CHO YONG-JUN]

BY CHO YONG-JUN [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]